Geomechanics of Failures. Advanced Topics

by Eduardo E Alonso

Chapter 1 A Constrained Creeping Brattas-St. Moritz Landslide, Switzerland; 1.1 Case Description; 1.1.1 Geometry, geology and displacements; 1.1.2 The teaning tower of St Moritz; 1.1.3 Chesa Corviglia; 1.1.4 The problem; 1.1.5 Long term stability and displacements; 1.2 The Theory; 1.2.1 Model assumptions; 1.2.2 Curve Fitting of Slope Displacements; 1.2.3 The Inverse Analysis Procedure; 1.2.4 The Safety Factor; 1.2.5 The Long Term Displacements; 1.2.6 The Time to Failure; 1.2.7 Summary; 1.3 Analysis of the Landslide ; 1.3.1 Geodetic measurements; 1.3.2 Simplified model ; 1.3.3 The safety factor ; 1.3.4 The long term displacements; 1.3.5 Discussion; 1.4 Analysis of the Leaning Tower; 1.4.1 Dilatometer Tests; 1.4.2 Leaning Instability; 1.4.3 Bearing Capacity ; 1.4.4 Discussion; 1.5 Mitigation Measures; 1.5.1 Stabilization of the leaning tower of St Moritz; 1.5.2 Stabilization of Chesa Corviglia; 1.5.3 Special Regulations for New Construction; 1.5.4 Defining Landslide Boundaries Using Fiberoptics ; 1.5.5 Monitoring of the earth pressure at the landslide bottom; 1.6 Lessons Learned; 1.6.1 Stability of Constrained Creeping Landslides; 1.6.2 Inverse Analysis; 1.6.3 Landslide Monitoring; 1.6.4 Stabilization of Structures ; 1.6.5 Environmental Factors and Landslide Stabilization; References; Chapter 2 Catastrophic Vaiont Landslide, Italy; 2.1 The landslide; 2.2 Geological setting; 2.3 The sliding surface; 2.4 Monitoring data before the slide; 2.5 Water pressures and rainfall; 2.6 A simple stability model; 2.6.1 Kinematics of the slide; 2.6.2 Two block model ; 2.6.3 Two interacting wedges; 2.6.4 Static equilibrium at failure; 2.6.5 Safety factors; 2.6.6 Landslide run out ; 2.7 Discussion; 2.8 Mitigation Measures; 2.9 Lessons Learned; 2.9.1 Slide reactivation ; 2.9.2 Impoundment of slide toe ; 2.9.3 Interpretation of field data ; 2.9.4 Computational procedures ; 2.9.5 Could it have been avoided?; Appendix 2.1 Safety Factor Fr. Solution of equation(2.30) ; Appendix 2.2 Global Safety Factor F; References; Chapter 3 Collapse of Compacted Girona Road Embankments, Spain; 3.1 Case Description ; 3.1.1 Questions asked; 3.1.2 Soil properties; 3.2 Collapse in practice; 3.2.1 Collapse of natural and compacted soils; 3.2.2 Rockfill collapse ; 3.3 Description of collapse and its modeling; 3.3.1 Effective stress; 3.3.2 Isotropic yielding of unsaturated soils; 3.3.3 Developing a simple model for collapse calculations; 3.3.4 Calculating loading and wetting strains; 3.3.5 Flow and collapse modelling; 3.4 Modelling the collapse of Girona road embankments ; 3.5 Results; 3.5.1 Discussion; 3.6 Mitigation Measures; 3.7 Lessons Learned; 3.7.1 Compaction on the dry side; 3.7.2 Natural collapsible soils; 3.7.3 Suction and stress variables; 3.7.4 The nature of collapse; 3.7.5 Capillary rise; 3.7.6 Modelling collapse; 3.7.7 Coupled flow-deformation; 3.7.8 Predicting the future behaviour of embankments; 3.8 Advanced Topics ; Appendix 3.1. Solving the coupled flow-deformation equation of the collapsing embankment; References; Chapter 4 Earth Dam Sliding Aznalcóllar Dam, Spain; 4.1 The Failure; 4.2 Geotechnical Properties of Tailings and Foundation Clay; 4.3 Water Pressures and Stresses in the Foundation; 5.3.1 A simple calculation model and its implications; 4.4 Limit Equilibrium Analysis; 5.4.1 Backanalysis of failure; 5.4.2 Undrained analysis; 5.4.3 Three dimensional effects. The role of bedding planes; 4.5 Discussion; 4.6 Mitigation Measures; 4.7 Lessons Learned ; 5.7.1 Soft clay rocks, hard clay soils; 5.7.2 Embankment loading; 5.7.3 Brittleness and progressive failure; 5.7.4 Bedding planes, discontinuities and tectonics; 5.7.5 Operating strength; 5.7.6 Construction procedure; 5.7.7 Pore pressures; 5.7.8 Undrained vs drained analysis; 4.8 Advanced Topics ; References; Chapter 5 Thermo-Hydro-Mechanics of a Rapid Vaiont Landslide, Italy; 5.1 Introduction; 5.1.1 A cheap laboratory heating experiment; 5.1.2 An

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2014